Viking Storm

by Griff Hosker

  Ulla War Cry looked at Úlfarr, “When you raid, will you take Úlfarr?”

  “I had not thought to do so. He is too big and I am not certain that he would enjoy the experience. I thought to leave him here with Uhtric. Perhaps you could look after him for me.”

  The disappointment of my earlier words was replaced by the joy of a month or so playing with my wolf. The ascent of Úlfarrberg was like the falling of a stone down a mountain. It set in motion events you could never envisage.

  As we prepared for the raid I noticed that the two boys regarded my wolf differently since our conversation. They were less indulgent with him. Sámr gave commands. Úlfarr responded well to the commands. He was a clever beast. One morning they greeted me with sling shots. “Grandfather, we would take Úlfarr hunting.”

  I nodded, “As you are taking slingshots then I assume you will not be hunting the wild boars.”

  Sámr gave me the sort of look he had seen Brigid give me when I said something foolish. “Grandfather! We go to hunt for we know that when we are warriors we will need to be like the Ulfheonar and move silently and without leaving a trail. We take Úlfarr to train him too.”

  I nodded, “I am suitably chided. Be safe.” I looked at Úlfarr. “Úlfarr, guard!” I had taught the wolf a few simple commands. I saw Sámr watching me. I could see that he was thinking how he might give similar commands.

  Almost all of the men who would be on the raid had arrived. We would only be taking supplies for a couple of days. After that we would live off the land. Each drekar, however, was well supplied with arrows, bows and spare spears. Erik Short Toe had ensured that each ship had plenty of rope. Some of the smaller vessels did not have a spare sail. That would have to be addressed in the future.

  Ragnar appeared to relish the responsibility of organizing such a huge raid. Aiden had stayed in Cyninges-tūn but Ragnar had made sure he had gathered all the information he could before we left. I had been there when Aiden had made requests of Ragnar. They were also intended for my ears too. “Find out the local names for the rivers and the towns that you find. Your grandfather knows how to write. It may be crude but he can make the marks for me on the maps. Any parchments or documents are as valuable to us as gold. Bring them back. They will be payment enough for my charts.”

  Aiden now had those crude maps and was going over them with his captains. There were empty places. Canvey, the Isle of Sheep, the Temese, they were there and named but the rest were blank.

  “It is twenty and five miles from the Island of Canvey and the walls of Lundenwic. There is little point in raiding south of the river. That was attacked by others. Hrolf the Horseman and his warriors took care of the treasure there. The islands will be there should we need to take shelter. If you are overwhelmed then head east for one of them. Gruffyd, your six ships will sail north. Foulness Island and Mersea Island will help you to find the rivers. Sail as far up as you can get.”

  I coughed.

  Smiling Ragnar said, “Aye Jarl Dragonheart? What have I missed?”

  “Nothing save that if the small drekar sail up at high tide then they can turn them around before the warriors disembark. It will make for an easier escape should that be necessary. Your ships are small. Aiden seems to think that he has marked the extent to which you can sail on the map. He has made the estimation from documents he has read and from speaking with priests and seafarers. If you find different then make a mark on the map. You will all need to copy Aiden’s map.”

  Erik Blue Scar looked surprised, “We have to make a map?”

  Ragnar nodded, “That is the way of our clan and it has proved successful.”

  While the maps were being copied Ragnar and I went back to the camps. We visited them all and my grandson spoke to as many men as he could. He would be leading new warriors into battle. They needed to know his face and his voice. Having me with him would give him even more authority. The eyes of those who had never sailed with us were drawn to the sword which hung from my hip. I saw the desire to touch it. Every warrior wanted the luck which accompanied the sword which was touched by the gods. I left Ragnar speaking with Blue Scar’s crew and went to find Sámr and Ulla War Cry.

  I knew that they would not have gone far. Their prey would have been squirrels and birds. It took skill to bring down either animal with a sling. I sat beneath an elder which was just coming to into leaf. The path from the woods passed close by. Úlfarr found me. He bounded from the forest and began to lick my face. My great grandsons appeared soon after. They had one squirrel, a herring gull and two ducks. They had done well.

  “You are truly hunters.”

  Sámr shook his head, “If we had not had Úlfarr we would only have one duck. We stunned the others without killing them. Your wolf pounced upon them and killed them.” He held up the herring gull. The wing had been torn. “He made a mess of this one. The next time we told him to drop it when it was dead and he obeyed.”

  “Did you reward him?”

  Sámr looked pleased, “Aye we did. I had some dried venison with me and I gave him a piece when he did as I commanded.”

  I was proud of all three of them. I was tempted to forego the raid and enjoy hunting with them. I dismissed the thought as soon as it had come. I was still the heart of the clan. Until I died I would have to be there when they went to war.

  My Ulfheonar arrived and with them came Cnut Cnutson. He had suffered a serious wound and would be a liability in the shield wall. He had, however, begged to join us and the rest of the Ulfheonar were loyal to him. He carried the standard. I would have refused him save that I needed my standard. When I told him he could come his gratitude was written all over his face. The other reason I let him come was because his father had been with me when the gods had struck my sword. It was right, it was wyrd .

  Chapter 6

  We had a veritable fleet as we nudged our way out of the channel to head west before south. We had debated long and hard about the advantages of visiting Thorghest the Lucky in Dyflin. True, we might have more drekar to sail south and raid but we might also warn the Saxons that we were coming. Vessels travelled to Dyflin from all over the northern seas. Secrecy was important. We decided, in the end, that we might be taken for those ships travelling to raid with Hrolf the Horseman. That news was on everyone’s lips. Our knarr captains had told us that there could be a hundred ships for that raid. It made ours pale into insignificance but, equally, it could hide us!

  The threttanessa followed behind the larger drekar: ‘Heart of the Dragon’ , ‘Odin’s Breath’ , ‘King’s Gift’ , ‘Wolf ’ and ‘Running Bird’ . Eleven warships constituted a mighty fleet. Our two knarr were tucked in the middle of their protective drekar. I smiled as I watched Ragnar, in ‘Odin’s Breath’ , keep staring astern as though he thought he might lose one. When we stopped I would speak with him. He had to trust his captains. If he was fretful now then what of the raid itself?

  We had the wind and there was no hurry. Einmánuður could bring fierce storms. While the weather was in our favour we would try to keep together. When we rounded the Lys Ardh then we might have problems. We had Ulf Olafsson at the rear of the threttanessa in his drekar, ‘Sea Eagle’ . With fifteen oars in each side it was smaller than the bigger drekar in the van but larger than the threttanessa. More importantly Ulf was an experienced captain. He had been Ulfheonar. If we became separated then they would all join Ulf. Even Gruffyd was grateful for his presence. We sailed in a column two ships abreast with Ragnar in the fore. It kept us tightly together.

  We kept close to the eastern coastline of Hibernia before we turned and headed south and east towards Bard’s Island. The wind was off the land and we made good time. As we passed the island of Angle Sea we saw that our appearance made the Mercians there worried. We saw their gates shut and their walls manned. They would not believe that we were just passing. They would keep their walls manned for days. We were known for our trickery. It made me smile for if we returned it would be at night and they would not see
us. If you saw a Viking ship then he meant you to see it. When we neared Cent and Essex we would remain hidden.

  This time, when we reached the island we did not draw our ships up on the shore. There were too many of us. We made a longphort and walked across them like a bridge. It was easier that way. I had never been on the island when it had been as crowded. There were so many of us that many of the birds took flight. We would have to find somewhere else for another such voyage. Our plan was to sail as far as we could and find a beach in Wessex where we could lay up. For once it did not matter if we arrived at the river at dawn or in daylight. Just as long as Gruffyd’s ships reached their destination first we would have done what we had planned.

  The storm blew up just as we had passed Lys Ardh. The wind had whipped around and roared from the south and west. It was a wet wind and it was a stormy wind. I found myself clutching my amulets tightly as the ship rose and crashed through troughs and waves. We had to stand far enough away from the coast so as to avoid the rocks and yet we dared not travel too far out to sea for there lay the islands of Syllingar. The storm raged all day. The clouds and the rain were so low that it was hard to see where the sky ended and the sea began. It was almost as black as night. The seas and the rain meant we were lucky to see the next ship abreast and ahead. When the wind abated it was late afternoon. I had no idea where we were although I suspected Erik did. Ragnar’s ship was nowhere to be seen. We spied three other drekar and so we hauled down our sail and signalled for them to join us. Four ships would be easier to find than a single one.

  None of them were Ragnar’s. Soon we spotted the knarr. Their captains headed for the safety of our drekar. As the afternoon wore on more sails were spotted and they made their way towards us. As the sun fell in the west the only ship which was missing was Ragnar’s.

  Erik looked at me, “The Norns?”

  “I hope not. We will head north and east. Ragnar was ahead of us. Perhaps that is where he is.”

  “It is more likely he is astern. He might be seeking us but it is a good plan, jarl. He would keep to the course we had planned. We head for Wessex and a beach. The coast is somewhere to the north of us. I think the winds blew us clear of Om Walum. Perhaps the island the Romans called Vectis might be where he is.”

  That thought worried me for we had fallen foul of Saxons there before now. The wind was with us but I took the decision to row with reefs in the sails. The wind was not as strong as it had been although it was still raining. Erik took the opportunity to have his crew begin to repair the damage. I had the men rest for I knew not what dangers might lie ahead. With lights hung on the stern of each ship we sailed closely together. We had lost one ship, I did not want to lose a second. I did not sleep. I couldn’t. My grandson was missing. He had made a blót before we left but had we, somehow, incurred the wrath of the Weird Sisters?

  Haaken One Eye joined me, “Do not worry, Jarl Dragonheart. Ragnar is a sensible warrior. He will not panic and he will catch us when he can. You did the right thing to sail.”

  “What if he is not above the sea but below the ground in the cave of the witch?”

  I could see that had struck home. Haaken’s hair had turned white when we had rescued Ylva from the witch’s clutches. “Perhaps we should have brought Aiden.”

  I glared at him, “If you cannot find anything more useful then stay silent! Aiden is not here and we will have to deal with whatever problems we find.”

  Haaken was not upset by my tirade. He nodded. “We have solved more difficult problems before. We can lie off the Saxon coast. If we make a long line then he will have more chance to see us.”

  “Perhaps you are right. We will need the time to repair the other ships too.” The storm had damaged some of the drekar. Now Erik Short Toe’s foresight came to our aid. We had spares.

  “If their captains have any sense they will be doing so now.” He looked astern. “It is not a propitious beginning is it, Jarl Dragonheart?”

  “It is the ending which is more important. This does not change our plans. When we find Ragnar, we will continue to Essex.” I think I was trying to convince myself as much as Haaken. The wind veered during the night. It came from the west by north. We were not moving quickly but we were moving. I did not want to get too far ahead of Ragnar.

  Dawn broke and the sea was still empty. There was no sign of Ragnar but the coast of Wessex could be seen as a smudge on a grey horizon. Erik Short Toe checked his compass and looked at the sky and the coast. One of his ship’s boys had been measuring our speed since before dawn.

  Erik said, “I estimate that we are close to the Saxon island. That would be a good place to wait for Ragnar. If we formed a line then he would have more chance of seeing us.”

  I nodded. Dawn had not brought me any hope. If anything, the grey skies and the empty seas seemed to confirm that I had lost another grandson. I looked up at the masthead. The ship’s boy, Erik’s son Arne, peered astern. “Any sight, Arne?”

  “No Jarl Dragonheart. There are just the other ships. No sign of ‘Odin’s Breath’ .”

  Erik Shouted to his other son, Knut, “Knut, go to the prow. Keep a watch out for the island.”

  “Aye captain.”

  He raced along the centreboard. The crew were also looking morose. All of us were superstitious. Every sailor I had ever met believed in luck. This seemed bad luck. To lose a ship this early was bad luck but to lose the leader was a disaster. Olaf Leather Neck took a horn of ale from the barrel and brought it with some salted cod. “Here, Jarl Dragonheart, eat. You have been awake all night.”

  “I cannot.”

  Olaf pushed the horn and the fish into my hand, “Eat, drink! We have lost one leader! Let us not lose another!”

  I laughed, “I am hardly wasting away!”

  “A man thinks better on a full stomach.”

  I forced myself to eat and I washed the fish down with the beer. Olaf was right, I did feel better.

  “Ships, away to the north east!”

  It was Knut’s voice and not Arne’s that I heard.

  Knut was a good lookout. He knew we would need more information. “It is ‘Odin’s Breath’ ! She is being attacked by two Saxons!”

  The Norns had tricked us! We had thought her astern and she was ahead. “To your oars!”

  I went to the stern and, cupping my hands to amplify my voice, shouted, “Full sail! Ragnar is under attack!”

  Ketil and Asbjorn acknowledged my command. The orders would be passed down the ships. The men needed no urging and the oars were slipped out and sliding through the sea almost before I had turned around. I took my mail from my chest and donned it. It was not easy without help but everyone was busy. It gave me something to do.

  The chant began to speed us along. It was Eystein’s song. He had perished in these very waters. Perhaps his spirit would aid us.

  Through the stormy Saxon Seas

  The Ulfheonar they sailed

  Fresh from killing faithless Danes

  Their glory was assured

  Heart of Dragon

  Gift of a king

  Two fine drekar

  Flying o'er foreign seas

  Then Saxons came out of the night

  An ambush by their Isle of Wight

  Vikings fight they do not run

  The Jarl turned away from the rising sun

  Heart of Dragon

  Gift of a king

  Two fine drekar

  Flying o'er foreign seas

  The galdramenn burned Dragon Fire

  And the seas they burned bright red

  Aboard 'The Gift' Asbjorn the Strong

  And the rock Eystein

  Rallied their men to board their foes

  And face them beard to beard

  Heart of Dragon

  Gift of a king

  Two fine drekar

  Flying o'er foreign seas

  Against great odds and back to back

  The heroes fought as one

  Their swords w
ere red with Saxon blood

  And the decks with bodies slain

  Surrounded on all sides was he

  But Eystein faltered not

  He slew first one and then another

  But the last one did for him

  Even though he fought as a walking dead

  He killed right to the end

  Heart of Dragon

  Gift of a king

  Two fine drekar

  Flying o'er foreign seas

  We fairly flew through the water. Now ready for war I grabbed my helmet and ran to the prow. I knew that we would reach the Saxons first. I needed to choose the one to attack. It seemed to me that neither of the Saxons had seen us. One was slightly lower in the water. I could see spears and swords rising and falling. My men could not row any harder. I was willing us to fly faster.

  I turned and shouted. “Lay us next to the one which rides higher in the water. ‘King’s Gift’ can take the one which is lower!”

  Erik Short Toe nodded and he adjusted the steering board. We were moving so quickly that I knew we would be upon them in a short time. It seemed incredible that they had not seen us but I guessed that they were so close to their own land that they thought themselves safe.

  “In oars! Arm yourselves!” The speed of the drekar and the wind would bring us alongside the Saxon. My men needed time to arm. “Arne! Knut! Grappling hooks!”

  “Aye jarl.”

  I donned my helmet and drew my sword. I clambered up to the prow and braced myself with feet on either side of the dragon. I had a good view. Ragnar had half of his crew with a shield wall at the steering board while the other half were at the prow. The Saxons filled the middle. They milled around. There was hope. My grandson was heavily outnumbered but they were using a shield wall.

  Erik was a master seaman. The sail was reefed as we closed so that we bumped gently next to the Saxon. The men of Wessex gave a shout as the two grappling hooks snaked over to hold us together. They appeared unaware of our presence until then. I did not wait for them. I was higher than the rest of my men and level with the stern of the Saxon. I leapt. It was not a graceful landing. As I put my right arm out to steady myself a Saxon swung a boarding pike at me. It clattered off my mail and he ran on to my sword. His body stopped me from falling. I raced to the helmsman and, before he could do anything, I had gutted him.